Paralympics 2012: Wednesday 29 August - live picture blog

• The best of today's pictures from the opening ceremony of the Paralympics 2012

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Artists perform with umbrellas during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympics Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

12.27am BST

Fireworks light up the stadium as a large scale reproduction of Marc Quinn's celebrated sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant emerges in the final scenes from the Opening Ceremony. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

12.18am BST

The Paralympic flame is carried by Royal Marine Joe Townsend on a zip wire into the Olympic Stadium. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

12.05am BST

The Paralympic flag is carried by members of the Great Britain U22 Wheelchair basketball team into the stadium. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

The flag of Great Britain is carried into the stadium. Photograph: Hannah Johnston/Getty Images

9.12pm BST

Prime Minister David Cameron and wife Samantha Cameron during the opening ceremony accompanied by Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Prince Harry was obviously told to stay at home. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

9.10pm BST

Professor Stephen Hawking who is narrating during the Opening Ceremony. Photograph: David Davies/PA

9.09pm BST

View of performers during the Opening Ceremony as Miranda emerges. Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP

The flag being raised during the opening ceremony. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for

9.05pm BST

Themes from famous scientific moments are recreated. This being Isaac Newton's discovery of gravitiy Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

9.04pm BST

Actress Nicola Miles-Wildin plays Miranda from Shakespeare's The Tempest. It is through Miranda's eyes that the 80,000-strong audience in the stadium and millions more on television will see the show as she is taken on a journey to Enlightenment. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images

8.59pm BST

In a great moment of foresight, the performers were all given umbrellas to dance with. Photograph: Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images

8.56pm BST

The Olympic stadium is lit up during the performance. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images